WONDERLAND review - No where near perfect

[philly03]

Posted: 1/13/11 at 10:36pm

WONDERLAND's book writers are in deep trouble, but they probably don't know it. They claim (as well as producers) the story is "clarified," and focuses soley on Alice. Big mistakes.

The musical's third professional production is probably in the worst shape. Jack Murphy (also the lyricist) and Gregory Boyd (also the director) have created a hole plucked bucket of a story, that's witless, joke-less, and overall bitter. The only saving element from this incarnation is Frank Wildhorn's score.

If anyone would like a list of plot holes, please tell me. I could post an entire book of the mess the writers put themselves in.

To boot, none of the characters are characters. They do nothing but sing a song or two and follow each other on stage. They have turned this "new Alice" into a mean, horrid mother who has already seperated herself from her husband (who is a total push over, weak man who has all of 4 or 5 lines) and in talks with lawyers. Alice neglects her daughter, and her daughter even says it. The opening scene (which features "Mrs. Everheart" and "Ms. Quizzle," who are NEVER re-visisted at all) is about Alice's latest book - but it is NEVER addressed. Mrs. Everheart says Alice's book needs a good "hero" - why in the world would anyone route for an Alice who neglects her daughter and is already divorced from her husband?!

Kate Shindle makes a flashy entrance at the new Mad Tea party scene, and looks absolutely stunning in her costumes. Carly Rose Sinclear, at 11, has got to be one of the next up & coming talents. She sounds older than her role's predecessor (the 20 something Julie Brooks).

The Hatter & Alice meet just twice - once at The Party, and at the final showdown. I saw the show twice - (SPOILER) the first night, Shindle literally took a dagger and stabbed the White Knight(OVER); second night the characters all danced around (as if on a rotating chess board) which was better, but if not for the projections, I'm sure no one had any idea what was going on. I will say Kate Shindle blows the roof off of "I Will Prevail," which seems borrowed from "DRACULA, the musical" almost. The song is good enough, but it is Shindle's performance that kills it.

It isn't enough - A lot of problems can be fixable, but ... they need to RECOGNIZE them first. Producer Judy Lisi (& the majority of the creators) seem to forget that just because they have read 39483984 scripts of it, doesn't mean everyone has.

Thank god for Jose Llana's over-the-top comedic abilities, as well as Karen Mason being able to deliver her few lines, in a largely cut role. Ed Staudenmeyer as the White Rabbit proves the most funny.

Most of Jack Murphy & Gregory Boyd's dialogue isn't just boring, it's utterly corny where you feel awkward for the actors!

"One Knight" is still killing the crowds, and rightfully so. Frank Wildhorn looked pleased at the response, and rightfully so (It was his idea). "Off With Their Heads" still is a big crowd pleaser, but Mason's role is virtually gone.

Literally, not one character comes full circle. Not one. Alice wakes up from Wonderland and happy ending - back with her husband, daughter loves her? It's not believable. How many divorced people get back together? (Not trying to be depressing, just realistic).

As lyricist Jack Murphy often borrows lyrics from himself & repeats them, Hilferty's ensemble costumes look like they're from Wicked. Marguerite Derrick's choreography is good except for the opening scene, which has the ensemble banging on a conference table (awful), and Kate Shindle's "Mad Hatter Song." Shindle's never been a dancer, but I'll describe her dancing as 'Cat paws dancing and swipe,' with the whole company (& Janet) dancing. Shindle doesn't dance in "Welcome to Wonderland" except on the side a bit, twirling Janet around.

There is no love saga anymore like there used to be, although it remains one of the plots biggest elements. How is this a love story with no love duet? They mysteriously get back together, I suppose during "Together" but they share no moments on stage (Jack & Alice that is).

Songs have changed a lot - lots of lyrics have been tweaked, some music tweaked, and almost everything re-orchestrated. Some things, like "Don't Wanna Fall in Love" sound entirely different, that one sounds a bit like something the Jackson 5 would sing.

That said, Frank has written one beautiful new song "Heroes." It's a company number, but it's absolutely beautiful. One of my new favourite Frank songs. "Together" has become a big production number in the style of "Legally Blonde Remix."

It needs work. Wildhorn's score is desirable, and is the show's best asset. Janet Dacal needs a better character to play, but she won me over this year. Everyone else's jokes seem to have been taken away to make her shine: It works, but it puts a damper on the rest of this project.
Updated On: 1/13/11 at 10:36 PM

[ljay889]

Posted: 1/13/11 at 10:39pm

This must be hard for you. I'm sorry.

[philly03]

Posted: 1/13/11 at 10:41pm

I was utterly disappointed.

Not a total waste, but not nearly as enjoyable as last year. If you're plot is dumb, make it funny not overly dramatic!!!!

[ljay889]

Posted: 1/13/11 at 10:42pm

Well maybe they can improve it during rehearsals and previews on Broadway.

[Overkill]

Posted: 1/13/11 at 10:59pm

So sorry to hear this. And very dissapointed. I got the concept recording and loved it and the idea. But it sounds like they've changed things drastically. I hope they fix it. I want this to succeed very badly.

[Anakela]

Posted: 1/14/11 at 12:20pm

...well that was a disappointing read.

Clarification please:
I saw the show twice - (SPOILER) the first night, Shindle literally took a dagger and stabbed the White Knight(OVER); second night the characters all danced around (as if on a rotating chess board) which was better...

Did the chess game end one night with the Hatter killing Jack, but she didn't kill him the other night? Or are these two different ways that they were playing out the Hatter killing Jack?

There is no love saga anymore like there used to be, although it remains one of the plots biggest elements. How is this a love story with no love duet? They mysteriously get back together, I suppose during "Together" but they share no moments on stage (Jack & Alice that is).

Does "Don't Wanna..." in place of "Love Begins" in Act I not play a part in this? I *loved* the move of "Love Begins" to Act I; Jack and Alice don't have a 'moment' onstage until "Together" in Act II now?

Was there anything in the book that you liked better than the Wonderland '09 version?
Updated On: 1/14/11 at 12:20 PM

[philly03]

Posted: 1/14/11 at 1:57pm

No he died both nights - But the first night Shindle literally made this great entrance from the back top of the stage with blood red lighting and fog, came down stage finishing her song and just stabbed Jack. Totally random. The second night she came down the steps and the fembots were on one side and the knights on the other (parrallel) and they danced around the Hatter, then when the song was over she went to stab Alice, but the white knight comes between.

Alice & Jack's beginning "exposition" is non-existent. Janet tells him to get out and is bossy (and the one who is causing the divorce). "Worst Day" is a short snippet, despite what Frank & the others say, and is vastly reworked (orchestrations, lyrics, etc). She finishes the song then you meet Jack, who is tucking Chloe in. They wanted to get the show to Wonderland much faster, but they just decided to ignore the backstory; and since they, the producers & Creative team, have read every script, they know the backstory and didn't realize it makes no sense. Or they do and are lying. I don't know.


No - Don't Wanna is of course the 'Why I don't want to fall in love song,' but like everything else it is never resolved. Alice & Jack at the end of the song part ways - Jack says "This is definitely the right way" and Alice says something like "Then I'll definitely be going this way." They remeet at "Through the Looking Glass" because Alice doesn't know where she is going, and neither does he and they go through together. Then Alice & the Rabbit don't get jailed (why?), Jack is jailed separately (why? - well because Ritchie has to change), and El Gato & Caterpillar are in jail; then comes of course "I Am My Own Invention." After that scene we are shifted to the jail where Jack/the jailed sing Together and then Alice & Chloe come in disguise to help them get out and the 3 finish the song's last three verses.

Act II is a mere 47 minutes I believe. Act I was around an hour and 10 mins. There seems to be plenty of time to add songs/moments, especially since the majority of the score is a big crowd pleaser.

Meh since I don't want to be too mean because of my love of the show, here's my favourite things new about this year:

-The Mad Hatter's entrance: The Mad Tea Party scene is decent (not really one of Frank's better songs, but serviceable; a big scream-y-ish ensemble number that says stuff like "My tea, your tea, drink your own, but don't drink my tea."), and when the song is over they put Alice at one end of the table and have the Hatter burst onto the other. Shindle looks absolutely fantastic in her costumes to boot.

-The Queen says "Lose the head, keep the hat" when the Hatter gets taken away. This is one of the few lines a lot of people laughed at. Another dialogue scene (and most of them that are funny) are set up to include the joke. For example, the Hatter asks Alice "You know the riddle, say what you mean!" and Alice replies "I do, I mean I mean what I say - it's the same thing" and then hte Hatter says some funny lines with Morris like "I see what I eat and I eat what I see" then the Hatter says "That is the same thing with you!" Got lots of laughs. Other than that really nothing else was over the top funny. The watch sequence is ruined, as Alice & Jack are both in knowledge that it goes backwards. They shouldn't have touched it, Ritchie was too funny last year. The Rabbit has lots of comedy. Seems there is some improv allowed for Darren (at the end of White Knight) and Kate (announcing the Queen).

-"A Nice Little Walk" is a great addition to an otherwise boring dialogue scene last year, but the negative is that it serves as an Act I Finale, just as Through the Looking Glass does for the other characters; thus why they should include the Hatter in Through the Looking Glass.

-"Heroes" is a great concept, and one of Wildhorn's best tunes.

-"Once More I Can See" actually works as Alice's song to her child.

The book is legitimately not funny... Perhaps cutting Snelson was bad for this reason because her Hatter was funny & enjoyable. Shindle's Hatter has no moments to be funny, and I get the impression it's not natural for Kate to be funny on stage unless it's in the writing. Everyone, except for Alice, appears SO little in the show that it's just messy.

[Trish2]

Posted: 1/15/11 at 11:53am

Seeing the clip posted on this site is enough to keep me away. It looks and sounds terrible. Why would they even want to post that inferior looking footage?

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 1/15/11 at 1:36pm

I'm really sorry to hear this! I will definitely take your word for it though. You know this show inside out and I respect your views on it. I hope they can fix it!

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 1/15/11 at 2:52pm

From your informative posts it sounds like this has nothing to do with Alice in Wonderland at all, except for a few characters?
Has was D. Ritchie?

[philly03]

Posted: 1/15/11 at 3:06pm

Trish:
New Broll and production photos are being shot today, expect them sometime this month. The clip was from last year's run at the Alley Theatre, which had an even smaller orchestra than the Tampa production.

CurtainPullDowner:
The original concept was that Alice is a "direct decedent" of Alice Liddell, Alice in Wonderland herself. The concept made sense when they cast people like Brandi Burkhardt and Lauren Kennedy in the workshops, but by casting Dacal it should've been scraped immediately (This concept was still in for Tampa last year).

Alice's child Chloe loves Alice in Wonderland, and reads the book to her as Alice falls asleep because she is overwhelmed with work this year, if you see where this is going.

Darren Ritchie was terrific, but to me it seemed his role has been downsized. I said last year I felt Janet Dacal didn't have the star quality needed to carry a Wildhorn show, but she certainly does this year, but from what I saw, at the expense of the rest of the cast. Ritchie still has a great voice, but his dialogue scenes are not funny... and he's supposed to be a, well, goofy, funny character.

The whole tone of the piece, in my opinion because they recast Nikki Snelson, went from fun, sarcastic & comedic to a-wanna-be dark, dramatic, sinister one.

A poor mistake, ... they try so hard to be emotional & meaningful, but it just kind of came together last year; this year you just question why would anyone root for a nasty, bitter Alice, and sit through boring dialogue.

I'm hoping they finally realize they need work. It's fixable if they put enough time into it. They have some great ideas, they just need to tie them together.
Updated On: 1/15/11 at 03:06 PM

[jennafan]

Posted: 1/15/11 at 7:55pm

I cringed while watching the clip from Tampa's FOX News.

The part they showed from One Knight is just awful. What chorography is THAT? It's embarassing, and so is the whole boyband stuff. If people are laughing during that, they are definitely laughing at it. Not in a good way either.

Having seen Darren Ritchie in a musical before (ACE), I know he is incredibly talented. I am sure everyone in the cast is, but this show just looks horrific.

The talented cast deserves better material. This is (sadly) going to get crushed by critics.

I don't think it'll last more than a few months on Broadway before closing.
Updated On: 1/15/11 at 07:55 PM

[philly03]

Posted: 1/15/11 at 8:44pm

The "One Knight" choreography is purposely done like that... You really don't get the sense of it unless you're watching it. Still probably the biggest applause of any number from the show (along with the Queen's "Off With Their Heads" and Alice's "Finding Wonderland"), though I doubt that NY audiences will be as into it as Tampa audiences were, ie: Clapping and cheering in the middle of these songs.

Say all you want, but it legitimately does get huge applause and laughs. It's done to get the effect of laughs. Ritchie said in an interview he was skeptical to the whole idea, but when he did it in front of a crowd everyone loved it. The White Knight is set up as a I'm better than everyone here's my boyband character... it's the way it is and it works.

It's weird to see Ritchie go from Jonathan Harker, who had no humor, to a goof character like the White Knight. The guy is really talented, hopefully this will be a big break for him.


This will be open I'm sure through atleast labour day, if not longer, so they can double market this with Bonnie & Clyde, I'm sure.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 1/15/11 at 11:10pm

Ok, I'm completely confused. Are Jack and the White Knight completely separate characters or does the White Knight's name just happen to also be Jack?

[philly03]

Posted: 1/16/11 at 12:36am

They're supposed to be mirror characters I guess you would say. Jack, the husband, does not go down to Wonderland. But the version going to Broadway has so much to work on to clarify this... The White Knight "used to be called Jack of Hearts", thus why she calls him Jack because she doesn't want to call him her "hero" (this year) or White Knight. But Alice also says Lewis Carroll reminds her of Jack (who also is played by Ritchie).... Complicated!

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 1/16/11 at 1:14am

Why can't Wildhorn and his collaborators ever just stick to their guns?

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 1/16/11 at 1:14am

Why can't Wildhorn and his collaborators ever just stick to their guns?

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/16/11 at 1:22am

It sounds like what they did to Jekyl & Hyde. I loved the pre-Broadway tour and they ruined it when it opened on Broadway. In my opinion.

[HummingAlong]

Posted: 1/16/11 at 1:22am

"Alice's child Chloe loves Alice in Wonderland, and reads the book to her as Alice falls asleep because she is overwhelmed with work this year"

sounds a tad like Phoebe in Wonderland the movie, but add a dash of mental illness...just thought i'd throw that in there. beautiful movie, actually.

[philly03]

Posted: 1/16/11 at 1:42am

I mean the dream part I suppose is an improvement - Last year in Tampa the Wonderland "happened" or was just a fantasy, who knows, but that wasn't a problem while you watched the show. I think in Houston Alice got "stuck by lightning"-ish type thing!

I wouldn't say they ruined this show, it's just not at it's potential. It needs to be changed a lot and I'm not sure they're willing to change enough (nor do they have the time to do it).

Last year was like a concert, revue of dazzling Wildhorn tunes thrown in with a gimpy plot and lots of humor coming from all over the place to make it enjoyable (following a chain of Alice in Wonderland poems door to door); It was an enjoyable night of theatre with one of the best Wildhorn scores (there's something for everyone!) that was quirky, you know this is going to end happily ever after type things.

This year they tried to make it dramatic and although they claim they've rid themselves of subplots, they have either added new ones or have decided that Alice and Chloe relationship is more important. They say the story is "clarified" but it's just not... Ugh I could rant about this all day!

[Anakela]

Posted: 1/16/11 at 2:10am

I mean the dream part I suppose is an improvement - Last year in Tampa the Wonderland "happened" or was just a fantasy, who knows, but that wasn't a problem while you watched the show.

Wonderland was not a dream towards the start of the Tampa '09 run, but then I think it was at the end? At least that's how I remember it.

The first time I saw it (November) Alice's line before "Finding Wonderland" started 'I've had the most curious dream...' and then Jack came in with 'It wasn't a dream; unless we were part of the same dream...,' and cue "Finding Wonderland." So Wonderland was 'real'?

But then in December Alice still had the 'I've had the most curious dream...' bit, but without Jack's it wasn't a dream part. So here it *was* a dream.


And to go back to "One Knight" for a second, I had the same reaction before I saw the show ("there's...a boy band number? I don't get it."), but until you've seen this number played out on stage, and heard the *mid-song* applause, and spent literally every intermission you've seen the show listening to either the women around you having Nsync/Backstreet Boys/New Kids on the Block reminiscences, and/or the tweens around you referring to these guys as if they're an actual band (complete with naming of "the cute one," etc.), it's hard to explain on paper how brilliant "One Knight" actually is. The song is great, but it's the choreography that kills it.

[goldenboy]

Posted: 1/16/11 at 11:23pm

Caught Wonderland in Tampa January 15 Sat Evening Performance.

I did not want to see an Alice in Wonderland Musical because everytime I have seen Alice in Wonderland.. it always felt disjointed; whether the animated TV musical version in the 70's with Sammy Davis Jr, or Made for TV musical, an English release some years back or any version of Alice In Wonderland.It always seems disjointed. And somewhat pointless.

Alice falls through a hole and meet this weird person and that weird person and this. person and then wakes up. Okay.

But I caught Wildhorn's Bonnie and Clyde and was very impressed by it. It was a compelling piece of musical theatre which I whole heartedly recommend. So I went
against my initial misgivings and bought a ticket to Wonderland.

I was impressed with the scrim, the sets and the projections.
Most of the choreography and most of the costumes.(did not like the white rabbit costume or Mad Hatter costumes) Spectatacle wise there was bang for your buck. Yes there is book trouble and some other trouble.

So we are introduced to a modern day Alice--grown up with a child and soon to be divorced husband named Jack. Alice falls asleep while reading Alice in Wonderland to her daughter Chloe (played by a wonderfully impressive Carly Rose Sonenclar) and meets the people in Wonderland.

Problem one: Alice, played by Janet Decal. Janet's Alice isn't very likeable. She is negative and bitchy. Now another actress say Kristen Chenowith or a young Bernadette Peters or Christine Baranksi can play negative and bitchy and be likeable. Janet is blessed with some pipes but for God's sake find a leading lady that can play bitchy overwrought in a likeable manner that we can root for. Janet Decal is not it. Who cares about this bitchy
Alice...even if she finds her inner child later in the show?

Problem Two: As usual, like all of the aforementioned Alice in Wonderland this one too is episodic and choppy. It's a built in problem that the show is simply shackled with.

Problem Three: Kate Shindle as the Mad Hatter. I have liked Kate Shindle in other shows--say Legally Blonde. The character of the Mad Hatter is underdeloped. The director and she need to work on her character. She is the major evil nemesis but she simply looks like a tall handsome women in a red dress and top hat. The show comes to a screaching lull in act one when we are introduced to her character. She is not evil enough. She is not scary. She is not funny. Is she supposed to be evil or funny? Pick one and go there. She is not clever enough. If she is evil for god's sake do something with her make up and costume to make her more evil. Long black nails. Horns, A witche's nose. A tall
handsome woman in a red dress is not evil. Not with an undeveloped character. She does have a great number in Act Two but it doesn't negate the underdeveloped characterization.

The good: Characterizations of the very funny Jose Llano as EL Gato, E Clayton Cornelius as the Caterpillar and Karen Mason as the Queen. All of their numbers shine. The wonderful Carly Rose Sonenclar as Chloe and the handsome and talented Darren Richie as Jack and the White Knight.


Act Two: In some ways I liked Act Two better than Act one in spite of it being disjointed and confusing. It is more clever than act one and tried to diverge from the blocked in episodic nature of Act One.

It opens nicely with Lewis Carol confronting our Alice with what he had in mind with Alice in Wonderland and gives her some interesting spiritual advice about not letting go of her childlike wonderment. A bit preachy but not bad and kind of haunting. For a moment, it is clever and it works. And at least we have a semblance of a reason for sitting there. But then Lewis Carol disappears.

But then ACT Two: problem one. Lewis Carol erases Chloe's Memory and then Chloe doesn't remember mommy.

But then Mommy runs into Chloe; Chlose doesn't know her but then she sings a song to Chloe and within two minutes into the song, she remembers mommy. WTF?? My theatre partner and I looked at eachother to say.... that's it? That's all it took? A very odd moment in a musical that needs to looked at

Kind of wish Lewis Carol would appear more in Act Two. Darren Ritchie as the White Knight and Lewis Carol has some great moments in Act Two
.

It ends in a happily every after fashion where Alice realizes she has always loved Jack and wants to keep the family together.
It ends as it should end.. Happily.

Overall, not a bad musical for night in the theatre. I've seen worse. Not bad for the boonies but a problematic one that needs some work prior to New York. I

Will it run? Who knows. Broadway is so unpredictable these days. People are buying tickets to 6 year old Wicked and that was panned by 5 out of 6 critics. People are buying tickets to the not well received Adams Family and the problematic Spiderman. Kids should like it.

In its present state the NY critics may murder it.

[philly03]

Posted: 1/16/11 at 11:47pm

Some things goldenboy:

"But then ACT Two: problem one. Lewis Carol erases Chloe's Memory and then Chloe doesn't remember mommy.

But then Mommy runs into Chloe; Chlose doesn't know her but then she sings a song to Chloe and within two minutes into the song, she remembers mommy. WTF?? My theatre partner and I looked at eachother to say.... that's it? That's all it took? A very odd moment in a musical that needs to looked at "

It's still the Hatter and Morris who wipe Chloe's memory at the opening of Act II, correct? Chloe is just mysteriously with Lewis Carroll during the scene, and is Alice's "unbirthday present" (this is how it was Tues-Wed). They do the "To the Moon and back" handshake thing, and that's when Chloe remembers her... or has this changed?

I'm glad you also agree that Janet's bitter, mean Alice is not someone anyone is going to root for, let alone care for. You made a good point - if Dacal was more comfortable playing it this way (let's face it, she's a leading lady rookie) it would work, but she's obviously not. Make Alice nice... people like it when the main character is nice and trying to pull it together - not end things.

Did they add a scene for Jack & Alice to show them getting back together or were they magically back together during "Together"?

Also, since I'm assuming you didn't see it last year, would you rather have the Hatter be funny or more evil? The funny worked last year with Snelson, I'm not sure why they cut all the humor out of nearly everyone's role!

[goldenboy]

Posted: 1/17/11 at 12:58am

[goldenboy]

Posted: 1/17/11 at 1:08am

This is my first time seeing it.

I think the way they have written it the mad hatter must be evil. But they need to up the stakes and scare us with the awful mad hatter. She could be funny in the way that Jim Carrey was scary as the Joker in Batman. But the intent needs to be harm the kid and Alice.

The way it is now, The Mad Hatter (Shindle) is a bitter beauty contestant runner up. WTF?

Yes they still do that awful to the moon and back thing. Honestly, I can't remember who makes Chloe lose her memory. Nor do I understand why it is necessary for her to lose her memory for approximately two minutes except as an excuse for mommy to sing her that song.

Tearful cathartic reunion??? Hardly. A role your eyes moment.

The audience doesn't applaud uproariously because the song doesn't make sense in context.

As usual Tampa gave it a standing ovation. They'll love anything in Tampa. I hate obligatory standings O's. they need to be deserved.